Five Tips for Using Business QR Codes Wisely and Effectively

QR codes, those little square black-and-white images, are popping up all over the place. You may have seen them on product packaging, or in store windows, or on posters and flyers. And you may have wondered what they are.

QR codes (short for Quick Response Codes) are two-dimensional bar codes. People can scan them by just using their smartphones. That's why many small businesses are using QR codes in marketing campaigns. They are more accessible than traditional barcodes. 

If you're planning to use QR codes for your marketing campaign, there are things that you should know. Make sure to follow these tips to maximize the use of business QR codes. 

Make sure there is a clear purpose for using business QR codes.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make with QR codes is to use them all over the place without any purpose. Using QR codes without any plans or goals won't give you any significant results. 

Think carefully about what you need to accomplish. Since QR codes offer convenience, study how they can support your marketing campaign. 

Creating Facebook QR codes

More often than not, small business owners use QR codes to provide instant access to online content. For example, you want to promote your Facebook page using posters and flyers. You can create a QR code for it, and here's how to do it: 

1. Head over to https://www.qrstuff.com/type/facebook and have the “Facebook” data type pre-selected from the Data Type section.  
2. In the content section, choose “Link to Facebook Page” in the Content section.
3. Next, enter the Facebook page ID. If you don’t know where to get your page ID, find out here: How to find your Facebook Page ID. In the example, we’ve used our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/qrstuff.
4. Your code is ready! You can click the “Download QR Code” button if needed.

Keep the QR code design simple and easy to scan

A QR code is a matrix of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. There's no need to get too creative with the design. In fact, if you make the code too complex or add too much text or graphics, it may not scan properly. Keep it simple-a few lines of text at most. 

However, you can still make adjustments to your QR codes. It's safe to change its background and foreground colors. You only need to make sure that there's enough contrast so the scanner won't have a hard time reading it. 

Make It a Bit Fancy

Paid QR Stuff subscribers have access to more features and options for their QR code, including the Style section. This function allows you to change the layout and color of the QR code’s different corners. A logo can also be included as part of the QR code.

The image on the right shows how your QR codes for employee onboarding may look after you’ve styled it with various colors. Just make sure you test your QR code before using it.

Paid users can also choose the size, quality, file format, and amount of error correction of the QR code picture.

Place business QR codes in easily accessible places

Don't put your QR codes in obscure places where people won't even know they're there. Put them in visible places where people are sure to see them and be able to scan them quickly and easily. 

You can place your QR codes in your storefront so that people passing by can see your announcements or exclusive deals. 

Also, it's best to add a QR code to the images or videos that you are posting online. Offering convenience to your target audience can increase your online engagement. 

There are many ways to get online engagement. However, the best way is by posting exclusive deals. Consider creating a QR code that leads your audience to a landing page. It should contain all the exclusive deals for scanning the QR code. 

How to Create a QR code for a Landing Page

Creating a QR code that links to a landing page is easy. Here's how to do it: 

1. First, go to https://www.qrstuff.com/?type=websiteurl and have the “Website URL” data type pre-selected from the Data Type section.
2. In the content section, fill in the required fields. Paste the link to your landing page.
3. Once done, wait for the QR code generator to finish processing, then save your QR code.

Test the business QR codes before releasing it to the public

Just like any other marketing tool, you should test your QR code before unleashing it on the world. Make sure that it scans properly and that the links or phone numbers it leads to are correct.

Let's assume that you created QR codes using our QR code generator. You can test them immediately because we have a preview section. Here, it's possible to test the QR code while you're creating or editing it. 

Use tracking features to monitor code usage and effectiveness

Once you've put your business QR codes into use, be sure to track its performance so you can see how well it's working. 

If you use our QR code generator, you can access the Analytics feature to track the metrics of your QR codes. However, this feature, along with the QR code styling and editing options are available to paid users only. 

QR codes can be a powerful marketing tool if used correctly. Follow these five tips to make sure you're using them effectively and getting the most out of them. And as always, experiment to see what works best for your business.

For more information on how to use QR codes in your marketing campaigns, check out our blog posts. We are posting blog posts and tutorials on how to create and use QR codes for small business. 

---

Subscribers Get More QR Stuff!